San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-01-13

/ his, anu Nolcc huiNi, co"Ahb'y'
Come, father"
The man suffered himself to be
led away from the beartless group,
cruel Billy singing after them, "Oh,
father, dear father, come home.
1t was long walk to the drunk
ards home. Before he reached it
he was sober.
Celia" he said, "would you like
some pink boots 7"
Like Florence Burr's. the public
ans daughteri" she asked.
"Yes, like hers.
mo, father, I wouldn't want them.
"Why not?'
"They wouldn't correspond with
my rags" the child said, bitterly;
"and wouldn't wear Florence Burr's
pink boots if l had silk dresses to
wear them with" she added, savage
ly.
Again her father questioned" ,"Why
noR'
because they were bought with
money that ought to have bought
bread and meat for poor little starv-
ing children and their crying moth
ers."
"Who told you so?"
Nobody told me; I found out fol
myself"
"You're strange child, Celia.
"Yes, perhaps ain. but love you,
father" And Celia put her cold hand
within her father s.
II don't see how you can, he said,
chukingly.
81 guess it's because you TO my
father" was the innocent answer.
As father and daughter entered
the house the mother arose, put the
sleeping babe in its wretched cradle
and said, Come to supper.
Such supper f)r family OF six
only part of stale loaf of bread
and some weak ten. The patient
weary wife would not have been sur
prised if her husband had thrown the
bread across the room at the wal
and had hurled the teapot after it.
cursing her at the same time, rs nc
had often done before; but she was
surprised when he rose from the tn
ble, Just after seating himself, and
said huskily, "Eat this miserable
Stuff You can, poor things! mus
be gone.
He started for the door weak ano
faint, but determined. His wife fol
lowed him, beseeching: "Oh! don
go out again tonight, Fred! don't
the baby is sick, and -"
She said no more, for, with the
words, "The little fellow is sick, Is
he?' the father went back to the crn
die, stopped and kissed his infant
child for the first time, and arose
with tears glistening upon bis eye
lashes.
"Tm not not going out to drink
Mary. Don't be worried; I'll be in
bp 8 o'clock, and if the child should
get worse Celia will find me at Ser
geant Wrights.'
What do you suppose it all means,
mothers" asked Celia, as soon as heI
father was gone.
Il don't know, child; bnt perhaps
it means that there is blessing com
ing to us all. Pray to God that il
may be So"
Mother, said Celin, "father asked
me this afternoon if / wanted pink
boots. What do you think of that?
1T was a STANCE question, child
I'd be thankful if he'd save enough
money to buy you some black ones
Your feet are blue with cold.
At 8 o'clock face peered through
the little curtainless window OF the
kitchen. The eyes saw IL desolate
picture. 1t was this: A bare, cold
looking room; haggard woman
bending over sick babe; Il little, sad
faced girl fallen asleep on the hard
floor, while bravely waiting for ia
ther," and two pale faced boys asleep
on low bed against the wall. Upon
the boys faces were traces of tears
for they were only little fellows OF
four and six, and had cried themselves
to sleep because they were hungry
The face moved from the window
and the man to whom it belonged
opened the door and walked in.
"Wife." he said, bending down tc
kiss his wife's worn face for the frs
time 10 wears, i've been an idiot unC
a brute, and I'll not ask you to for
give me tonight. I'll wait until yor
find out that I'm a changed man
thank God that / am! All. Celia
you're waking, child. Florence Bur
will never buy any more pink boot
with the money that belongs to ny
little ones. I've been over 10 Ser
gelnt Wright's working hard at black
, ing stoves for four hours, and while
b blacked the stoves he whitened IN.
. heart a little, God bless him! Ill
paid me, too, a good price, and to
. morrow / Ia TO begin work IN his IN
shop. Wake up the poor little boys
; Celia, my dear little girl Tell then
: their father, and not a brute. ha
come home, and has brought snch
J supper that they'll shout for Joy,
The Root tie Evil.
Tofhorou-lly ctTr Eer, fui, = = r.'ress,Il -. (
p - s--ils dirf,riy q iilf rl'ai g tie e'l- i.i
~ srsf-It shat E0oI's . -a-s-I,-f COS ?.